Anybody else commuting just because riding a bike is fun?
When I decided to start commuting to work this month, I just wanted to get back on a bike again. Used to ride off-road a bunch when I was close to trails, but now that I'm living the city life that's not as easy to do. While it's clear that most forumites do enjoy biking and commuting, many threads and posts seem to focus on some other benefit, aside from just riding a bike on a nice day.
Exercise - I'm not using the bike to get in shape. I workout after work most days. Not that biking isn't an added benefit, but my commute is only about 20 blocks (2 miles) with no hills to speak of. So, even if I charged hard between lights and stop signs, I'm not burning
that many calories. In fact, I'm not charging hard at all.
Pollution - My wife and I have been a one-car family since we moved to DC, and I've taken public transportation exclusively during those 5 years (she's a real estate agent, so she's all over the place, while I spend all day in one office). So, I'm not taking a car off the road (and the car we have is small and very fuel efficient).
Cash - I'm not saving money. In fact, I work for the government, so my bus fare is paid. If anything, buying a commuter bike and all the goodies has made for a very expensive month.
Time - That bus also picks me up almost at my back door, and drops me off 2 blocks from work, and takes about 15 minutes. So, not really saving time either, unless I miss the bus.
Advocacy - I'm not riding a bike to make a statement. I've seen some posts where folks are riding to promote biking, promote enviro issues, etc. I mean, I have a master's in enviro law and policy, and those issues are very important to me, but it's not why I'm riding a bike to work now.
I just want to, and I'm having fun.